Rating: High Five!

Synopsis (from Amazon) : 
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Hypnotism!Molly Moon is no ordinary orphan. When she finds a mysterious old book on hypnotism, she discovers she can make people do whatever she wants. But a sinister stranger is watching her every move and he'll do anything to steal her hypnotic secret...

Why We'd Recommend It: We first stumbled upon this book on audiobook, some four years ago. We were instantly captivated, and proceeded to read all the other books in the series within weeks. Molly Moon's world is one that all readers will instantly love, with adventure, action, danger, fame, mystery... who could ask for anything more? It's the perfect book to get you out of a reading "slump," and lucky for reluctant readers, this fast-paced book is only the first of a long series. It's also incredibly imaginative. Overall, one of our favorite semi-fantasy books, still to this day!

Rating: High Five... Million :)

Synopsis: Two orphaned brothers, Prosper and Bo, have run away to Venice, where crumbling canals and misty alleyways shelter a secret community of street urchins. Leader of this motley crew of lost children is a clever, charming boy with a dark history of his own: He calls himself the Thief Lord. Propser and Bo relish their new "family" and life of petty crime. But their cruel aunt and a bumbling detective are on their trail. And posing an even greater threat to the boys' freedom is something from a forgotten past: a beautiful magical treasure with the power to spin time itself.

Why We'd Recommend It: When I think about my younger years, The Thief Lord comes to mind. Written by one of my favorite authors, Cornelia Funke, when my third-grade-teacher recommended this to me, I found it hard to resist. Just read the synopsis and you'll see why. Ever since this book, I've been obsessed with writing stories that take place in Europe - especially Italy. The story grabs you right in from the start and doesn't let go until you get to the mind-blowing end. Truly an incredible book that I've probably reread about a thousand times by now. But don't take my word for it. Go and read it yourself!

Reviewed by Olivia

Rating: High Four

​Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of the War That Saved My Life, ​Breaking Stalin's Nose, the Devil's Arithmetic, and Jerry Spinelli's Milkweed.

Synopsis (from Amazon):
Felix, a Jewish boy in Poland in 1942, is hiding from the Nazis in a Catholic orphanage. The only problem is that he doesn't know anything about the war, and thinks he's only in the orphanage while his parents travel and try to salvage their bookselling business. And when he thinks his parents are in danger, Felix sets off to warn them--straight into the heart of Nazi-occupied Poland. To Felix, everything is a story: Why did he get a whole carrot in his soup? It must be sign that his parents are coming to get him. Why are the Nazis burning books? They must be foreign librarians sent to clean out the orphanage's outdated library. But as Felix's journey gets increasingly dangerous, he begins to see horrors that not even stories can explain.

Reviewed by Olivia

Rating: High Five!

Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of any other of Pam  Munoz Ryan's books, Cornelia Funke, and (just a little bit) Jerry Spinelli.

Synopsis (from Amazon): Lost and alone in a forbidden forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica.

Decades later, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California each, in turn, become interwoven when the very same harmonica lands in their lives. All the children face daunting challenges: rescuing a father, protecting a brother, holding a family together. And ultimately, pulled by the invisible thread of destiny, their suspenseful solo stories converge in an orchestral crescendo.

Rating: High Five!

Synopsis: Nine-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.
 
So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?

Why I'd Recommend It: The War That Saved My Life is another Sweet Sixteen book - one of the first I read, in fact. It still remains my favorite, right alongside My Diary From the Edge of the World (they have a very similar feel). Right from the start, I felt the emotions Ada felt, in a  very moving way. The writing was beautiful, and I loved the setting, too. This book provides an interesting perspective on World War II -- the perspective of a girl in England experiencing things from that side of the War. But more than anything else, this book isn't about that. It reminds me of Paperboy, or Part Two of Echo (review coming soon!). It has a classic feeling, and there's never a dull moment. I was completely engrossed in this beautiful book the whole ride. Definitely one of my favorite books this year!

Reviewed by Oscar

Rating: High Five!

Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of any other Rick Riordan book, Eragon, and TombQuest.

Synopsis (from Amazon):
How do you punish an immortal? By making him human. After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disoriented, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favor. But Apollo has many enemies—gods, monsters, and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go . . . an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.

(to see the full review, click the read more button in the bottom right hand corner of this post)

Reviewed by Olivia

Rating: High Five!
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of Roald Dahl, Cornelia Funke, and Kate DiCamillo
Synopsis (from Amazon):
Rudger is Amanda Shuffleup's imaginary friend. Nobody else can see Rudger--until the evil Mr. Bunting arrives at Amanda's door. Mr. Bunting hunts imaginaries. Rumor has it that he even eats them. And now he's found Rudger.

Soon Rudger is alone, and running for his imaginary life. He needs to find Amanda before Mr. Bunting catches him--and before Amanda forgets him and he fades away to nothing. But how can an unreal boy stand alone in the real world?

Lately, with schoolwork crushing down on us and a few new Author Interviews in the making, we haven't been very good about posting new reviews. About half of the books we read are reviewed, and the other half are pretty much all but forgotten. Hence, we've decided to add a new feature - the Recommendation of the Week. We'll (hopefully) remember to post these once a week - all books that we've loved and cherished but never gotten around to reviewing, for whatever reason. So here it is! Hope you enjoy!

Rating: High Five!

Synopsis (from Amazon):
"I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.
 
It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt."

Why We'd Recommend It: Marie Lu writes so powerfully, beautifully, and emotionally that this book is hard to resist. It's an inventive, dystopian, slightly romantic, dark story about a budding villain, a perspective I've yet to see. The world Adelina, the main character, lives in reminds me a little bit of the setting of Divergent, but with more depth and creativity, along with more fantastical details. One of my teachers once said, "I think a book is either a 'description book' or a 'character book,' in which the author focuses more on one or the other." In that case, the Young Elites would definitely be a "character book," because it focuses on the theory that someone is inwardly good or inwardly evil - and if they can do anything to tip the balance in either direction. In fact, it's a bit similar to the School for Good and Evil, but, if possible, even darker and more terrifyingly realistic. There is a touch of romance too - more than in the Lunar Chronicles or Divergent, but it doesn't ever go too far. There's never a sleepy moment, and I was constantly on the edge of my seat. The Young Elites is definitely one of my - and my brother's - favorite books we've ever read.

Reviewed by Olivia

Rating: High Three
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of Lost in the Sun, the Honest Truth, and Fish in a Tree.
Synopsis (from Amazon):
After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy must have been a rare jellyfish sting-things don't just happen for no reason. Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory--even if it means traveling the globe, alone. Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe...and the potential for love and hope right next door.

​

Reviewed by Olivia

Rating: High Two 1/2
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of The Thing About Jellyfish, Fish in a Tree, and the Honest Truth.
Synopsis (from Amazon):
Everyone says that middle school is awful, but Trent knows nothing could be worse than the year he had in fifth grade, when a freak accident on Cedar Lake left one kid dead, and Trent with a brain full of terrible thoughts he can't get rid of. Trent’s pretty positive the entire disaster was his fault, so for him middle school feels like a fresh start, a chance to prove to everyone that he's not the horrible screw-up they seem to think he is. 
 
If only Trent could make that fresh start happen.
 
It isn’t until Trent gets caught up in the whirlwind that is Fallon Little—the girl with the mysterious scar across her face—that things begin to change. Because fresh starts aren’t always easy. Even in baseball, when a fly ball gets lost in the sun, you have to remember to shift your position to find it.